California Plumbing Code Recycled Water Revisions
Transcript of California Plumbing Code Recycled Water Revisions
California Plumbing Code 2016 Recycled Water Revisions
WateReuse Central Valley/Sierra Foothills Chapter
18 March 2016
Richard A. Mills Water Recycling and Desalination Section California Department of Water Resources
Presentation Overview
• Plumbing Code Background • AB 2282 • Issues to Consider • Plumbing Code Revision Process
What is California Plumbing Code?
• California Building Standards Code: 12 parts – California Code of Regulations, Title 24 – Adopted by California Building Standards Commission
(CBSC) • California Plumbing Code
– Part 5 of Title 24 – Based on model code selected by CBSC: International
Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Uniform Plumbing Code
– Amendments by California State agencies
Current Recycled Water Provisions • 2013 California Plumbing Code, Chapter 16A, Part
II, Non-Potable Water Reuse Systems – Informal: “Dual Plumbing Code”
• Focus: dual plumbed buildings with recycled and potable water systems
• All building types: commercial, office buildings, theatres, condominiums, schools, prisons, etc. as allowed by SWRCB (Title 22)
• Uses: toilets, urinals, trap primers for floor drains, & other allowed uses
• Reclaimed water source: municipal wastewater
Dual Plumbing Code History
• Before 2010: No California adopted plumbing code for recycled water
• 2002 Recycled Water Task Force: recommendations
• 2006: Water Code §13577, DWR authorized to adopt design standards for Plumbing Code for dual plumbed buildings
• 2009: DWR adopted, published in 2010 California Plumbing Code
Other Dual Plumbing Regulations
• Title 22 Water Recycling Criteria, Division 4, Chapter 3 – Article 4, Use Area Requirements – Article 5, Dual Plumbed Recycled Water Systems
(in buildings or irrigation at individual residences) – Signage, cross-connection testing, etc.
• Title 17, Div. 1, Ch. 5, Art. 2, Protection of Water Systems – Backflow protections for public water supply
AB 2282
• Passed 2014 • Required Actions
– Mandatory Installation: Establish criteria for mandating installation of recycled water systems for newly constructed single-family and multifamily residential buildings (HCD) and commercial and public buildings (CBSC)
– How: Establish standards for construction of recycled water systems (HCD & CBSC)
– Undertake research
Overlapping Authorities
• Four state agencies • Plumbing Code (Title 24)
– Department of Water Resources – California Building Standards Commission – Department of Housing and Community
Development
• Titles 17 & 22 – State Water Resources Control Board
AB 2282 Coverage
• Research: – Indoor applications – Potential outdoor applications consistent with
Title 22
• Adoption of standards – Installation of recycled water systems for newly
constructed buildings – Implied: building site landscaped areas
AB 2282 Implementation Assumptions
• Applies to recycled water provided from source external to use site
• Implies source is treated municipal wastewater in definition of “recycled water” reference to Title 22 regulations (H&SC §17921.5(a), 18940.6(a))
• Excludes water sources on use site (rainwater, graywater, black water, etc.)
“Whether”: Criteria to Mandate
• Objectives (implied in AB 2282) – Facilitate future cost-effective expansion of
recycled water use in areas where recycled water may be served in future
Criteria to Mandate
• Areas identified in local planning efforts – Master plans, feasibility studies, facilities plans – Facilities plans funded by SWRCB – Urban Water Management Plans – Local ordinances
• New construction within areas identified within certain time horizon
• Note: Water Code §13579-13580.7 • Potential for indirect or direct potable reuse that
precludes need for dual distribution & plumbing
Criteria to Mandate: Cost
• Water agencies often ignore costs of dual distribution or on-site plumbing if paid for by developers or home buyers – Not free: A real cost to society
• Cost-effectiveness to serve residential areas – Not well documented, needs research: costs may be very
high (>$10,000/AF) • Incremental cost to dual plumb new buildings vs
retrofit existing buildings • Incremental cost to dual plumb from property line to
buildings in new construction vs retrofit • Design point of connection to facilitate later retrofit
Criteria to Mandate: Stranded Costs
• Dual plumbing that is never used is equivalent of stranded cost to homeowner and society generally
• Unused dual plumbing essentially increases the unit cost of recycled water for society as whole
“What” to Mandate
• Which components of recycled water plumbing system to mandate
• Just within buildings, ready for future connection to reclaimed water?
• Special landscape irrigation features?
“How”: Chapter 16A, Part II
• Addresses the “How to” • Standards for construction, monitoring, cross-
connection testing of recycled water systems at use sites, signage
• Within buildings • Vague reference to plumbing on premises
outside buildings (DWR authority may not apply)
Chapter 16A, Part II Indoor Single Family Residence Issues
• Building types: – Single family houses not addressed (not currently
allowed in Title 22) – Must Title 22 be amended to allow single family
house use? – Are current provisions in Chapter 16A adequate or
practical for single family structures?
Cross-Connection Protection of Occupants
• Potable water may be used as makeup water for recycled water
• Gray water or rainwater may be used as makeup water for recycled water
• Recycled water may be used as makeup water for gray water or rainwater systems
• What backflow protection is adequate to protect potable water from nonpotable water?
• What backflow protection is adequate to protect recycled water from other nonpotable water?
Signage
3 Scenarios in Title 17, §6703 (c)(1) Potable Supplements Recycled
Prop
erty
Lin
e
GW
RW
PW AG
AG, RP, DC?
AG, RP, DC?
Protects public water supply
Protects residence water supply
Protects reclaimed water supply
3 Scenarios in Title 17, §6703 (c)(2) No interconnection with the potable
Prop
erty
Lin
e
GW
RW
PW RP
AG?
AG, RP, DC?
Protects public water supply
Protects residence water supply
Protects reclaimed water supply
3 Scenarios in Title 17, §6703 (c)(3) Residences using RW for landscape irrigation conforming
with Title 22 dual plumbing regulations (Art. 5) Pr
oper
ty L
ine
GW
RW
PW DC
AG, RP, DC?
Protects public water supply
Protects reclaimed water supply
AG?
Any connection prohibited by Title 17?
The Gap
• Plumbing between point of connection or property line and structures
• Plumbing for irrigation or other external uses • Not clearly addressed in Ch 16A • An item of confusion for local building officials
that needs clarification • Is there legal authority to adopt standards for
this (DWR, CBSC, HCD, SWRCB)?
Chapter 16A Improvements
• How well are current standards working? • Are current standards adequate or suitable for
single-family residences to protect occupants?
Where to Put AB 2282 Standards
• 2015 IAPMO model plumbing code, Chapter 15 – Alternate water sources (gray, recycled)
• 2015 IAPMO model plumbing code, Chapter 16 – Now rainwater capture systems
• Green Building Code • Considerations
– Consolidating related standards in one location facilitates • Consistency • Use by builders, water purveyors, state officials • Integration of Ch 16A provisions with any new AB 2282
provisions • Cross Reference between Green and Plumbing Codes
Drafting Committee
• California Building Standards Commission • California Department of Housing and
Community Development • California Department of Water Resources • State Water Resources Control Board
– Division of Drinking Water – Division of Water Quality
• State Architect • State Fire Marshall
Stakeholder Input • Steering committee
– State agencies, representatives of key stakeholder perspectives
• Subcommittees – Maintenance, Testing and Inspection – Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection – Enforcement, Compliance, Minimum Water Quality – Onsite Treated Water – Ad Hoc (Beneficial Uses, Fire Suppression Systems, etc.) – Missing Need: Criteria for Mandated Plumbing in New
Construction • Public workshops for all stakeholders • Public comment period
Schedule
• 14 June 2016: Stakeholder meeting • 28-29 July 2016: Subcommittee meetings • Aug-Oct 2016: Stakeholder/Subcommittee
meetings • Aug-Nov 2016: Green Building Focus Group
meetings • Dec 2016: State agency initial submittal of code
changes to CBSC • Spring 2017: DWR adoption • June 2017: CBSC adoption
Contacts
• Department of Water Resources – Rich Mills
(916) 651-0715 [email protected]
• California Building Standards Commission – Kevin Day
(916) 263-0355 [email protected]